Camera having a load prevention member capable of controlling film cartridge loading based on whether the film is new or used

ABSTRACT

This invention is applicable to a camera having a cartridge chamber into which a film cartridge is detachably insertable along its axis direction. The camera is equipped with a cartridge-load detection switch for outputting a load signal when the cartridge is loaded in the cartridge chamber, and outputting a non-load signal when the loaded cartridge is drawn out from the cartridge chamber by at least a predetermined amount. When the photographed cartridge is partially drawn out from the cartridge chamber and then reloaded into the cartridge chamber as it is, the output of the load signal is continued if the draw-out amount is below the predetermined amount, thereby preventing an erroneous judgment that a new cartridge is loaded into the cartridge chamber. Therefore, for example, the double exposure can be prevented.

This is a Division of application Ser. No. 08/467,835 filed on Jun. 6,1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,634 which in turn is a Divisional ofapplication Ser. No. 08/221,994 filed Apr. 1, 1994, now abandoned, whichin turn is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 07/924,626 filed Aug.3, 1992 now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a camera having a cartridge chamber into whicha film cartridge is detachably insertable along its axial direction.

2. Related Background Art

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a film cartridge 2 having the sameconstruction as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,275. The cartridge 2includes a cylindrical portion 2a in which a spool shaft 2e is rotatablymounted, and a film feed-out portion formed integrally with thecylindrical portion 2a in such a manner as to extend in a tangentdirection to the cylindrical portion 2a. A film 1 is stored inside thecylindrical portion 2a as it is wound around the spool shaft 2e. Anengaging portion 2c is formed at an upper portion of the spool shaft 2ein such a manner as to be engageable with a driving member (not shown)provided in a camera. The film 1 is fed out from the feed-out portion 2bwhen the spool shaft 2e is counterclockwise rotated by the drivingmember in a direction as indicated by an arrow of solid line of FIG. 15,and it is rewound when the spool shaft 2e is clockwise rotated by thedriving member.

Since this type of cartridge 2 is so designed that the film 1 is fed outby rotating the spool shaft 2e as described above, when the cartridge 2is loaded into a camera, it is not necessary to draw out the film fromthe cartridge 2 and then wind it around a take-up spool which has beenrequired for a conventional 135-type cartridge, for example. Therefore,unlike a conventional camera, a camera usable for this type of thecartridge 2 is not required to be so constructed that the back surfaceof a camera body is designed to be wholly opened and this opened backsurface is closed by a back lid. In this type of camera usable for thecartridge 2, a cartridge loading work is more facilitated if the camerais provided with a cartridge insertion inlet having a slightly largeraperture than the diameter of the cartridge at a bottom portion of thecamera body and a cartridge lid movable so as to open and close thecartridge insertion inlet, and the camera is so designed that thecartridge 2 is insertable into a cartridge chamber along its axialdirection while the cartridge lid is opened.

In this camera for usable for the cartridge 2, a detection device fordetecting whether a cartridge has been loaded into the camera isrequired to electrically carry out an initial feed-out operation of afilm, for example, interlockingly with a closing operation of thecartridge lid after the cartridge is loaded into a cartridge chamber ofthe camera. If the detection device is constructed by a detection switchwhose switch-on operation is actuated by the load of the cartridge, andwhose switch-off operation is actuated by the non-load of the cartridge,the film initial feed-out operation may be carried out when theclose-state of the cartridge lid is detected after the detection switchis shifted from the switch-off state to the switch-on state.

However, the following problem occurs in such a camera if the camera isso constructed that the detection switch is disposed at an inner side ofthe cartridge chamber and apart from the film insertion inlet, and thedetection switch is switched on when the cartridge is substantiallycompletely loaded into the cartridge chamber while it is switched offwhen the cartridge is slightly drawn out in the above completely-loadedstate.

In a case where a cartridge storing a film whose photographic frameshave been wholly photographed (hereinafter referred to as "used filmcartridge") is halfway or partially drawn out (unloaded) from thecartridge chamber and then reloaded into the cartridge chamber, thedetection switch is once switched off at the time when the cartridge isslightly halfway drawn out from the cartridge chamber, and then switchedon at the time when it is reloaded into the cartridge chamber.Therefore, when the cartridge lid is closed after the cartridge isreloaded into the cartridge chamber, there occurs an unfavorablecircumstance that the initial feed-out operation of the film from thereloaded cartridge is unfavorably started again. Such a circumstancefrequently occurs when a user draws out a used film cartridge halfway orpartially from the cartridge chamber, but he re-loads the film cartridgeinto the cartridge chamber because he thinks that the camera will not beused afterwards and thus it is better to be kept in the camera.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of this invention is to provide a camera in which an initialfeed-out operation of a film is prevented when a halfway or partiallydrawn-out (unloaded) cartridge is reloaded into the camera.

This invention is applicable to a camera having a cartridge chamber intowhich a film cartridge is detachably insertable along its axialdirection. In order to attain the above object, the camera according tothis invention is provided with signal output means for outputting aload signal when the cartridge is completely loaded into the cartridgechamber, and outputting a non-load signal when the loaded cartridge isdrawn out from the cartridge chamber by at least a predetermined amount.

According to this invention, in a case where a photographed cartridge isdrawn out halfway from the cartridge chamber and then the cartridge isreloaded into the cartridge chamber, the load signal is continued to beoutput insofar as the draw-out amount is below the predetermined amount,so that there is no possibility of an erroneous judgment that a newcartridge is loaded irrespective of the reloading of the used cartridge.Therefore, a double exposure of the film can be prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a camera, and shows acartridge detection switch;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the camera, and shows a state wherea cartridge is halfway or partially loaded or drawn out;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the camera, and shows a state wherethe cartridge is completely stored;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams of the construction of a lockingdevice for a cartridge lid;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a film feeding mechanism of the camera,and shows a state where a film is wound up;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the film feeding mechanism at the timewhen the film is fed out;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the film feeding mechanism at the timewhen the film is rewound;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a control system for thecamera according to this invention;

FIG. 10 is a main flowchart for a operation procedure of the camera;

FIG. 11 is a detailed sub-flowchart for a film feed-out process;

FIG. 12 is a detailed sub-flowchart for a spool winding process;

FIG. 13 is a detailed sub-flowchart for a film wind-up process;

FIG. 14 is a detailed sub-flowchart for a film rewinding process;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the construction of a film cartridgefor a camera of a first embodiment;

FIGS. 16A to 16C are perspective views of a film cartridge for a cameraof a second embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a engaging portion of a cartridge spooland a driving member of the camera;

FIGS. 18A and 18B are explanatory diagrams of the engagement between theengaging portion and the driving member as shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge chamber of the cameraaccording to the second embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a loading inhibition pin provided tothe cartridge chamber as shown in FIG. 19;

FIGS. 21A and 21B are explanatory diagrams of operations of the loadinginhibition pin provided to the cartridge chamber and a loading detectionswitch;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a spool driving mechanism of thecamera;

FIG. 23 is a block diagram of a control system for the camera;

FIG. 24 is a flowchart for a control procedure;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge chamber of a cameraaccording to a third embodiment;

FIGS. 26A and 26B are explanatory diagrams of the operations of theloading inhibition pin and the loading detection switch;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a cartridge and a cartridge chamberaccording to a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge chamber according tothe fourth embodiment;

FIGS. 29A and 29B are explanatory diagrams of the operations of theloading inhibition pin and the loading detection switch;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a spool driving mechanism of thecamera;

FIG. 31 is a block diagram for a control system;

FIG. 32 is a flowchart for a procedure for a process;

FIG. 33 is a cross-sectional view of a cartridge chamber of amodification of the camera of the fourth embodiment;

FIGS. 34A and 34B are explanatory diagrams for the operations of theloading inhibition pin and the loading detection switch;

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a film cartridge applicable to a fifthembodiment;

FIG. 36 is a plane view of the film cartridge as shown in FIG. 35;

FIG. 37 is a side view of the partially-notched film cartridge as shownin FIG. 36;

FIG. 38 is a longitudinal-sectional view of a main part of the cameraaccording to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the camera of thefifth embodiment, and shows a loading process of an unused filmcartridge;

FIG. 40 is a cross-sectional view of the main part, which shows therelationship between the engaging portion and the detection switch whena film cartridge is loaded;

FIG. 41 is a cross-sectional view of the main part, which shows ainsertion state of a used film cartridge in the camera according to thefifth embodiment;

FIG. 42 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge chamber of the cameraaccording to a modification of the third embodiment;

FIGS. 43A and 43B are explanatory diagrams of the loading inhibition pinand the loading detection switch;

FIG. 44 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge chamber of a cameraaccording to a modification of the fourth embodiment; and

FIGS. 45A and 45B are explanatory diagrams for the operations of theloading inhibition pin and the loading detection switch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

First Embodiment

A first embodiment of the camera according to this invention will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the camera of thefirst embodiment. A reference numeral 10 represents a camera body, and areference numeral 11 represents a cartridge chamber formed in the camerabody 10. The cartridge 2 shown in FIG. 15 can be inserted and drawn outfrom the cartridge chamber 11 in its axial direction at the lower sideof the cartridge chamber 11. A reference numeral 12 represents acartridge lid for opening and closing the cartridge chamber 11, which isprovided at the bottom surface of the camera body in such a manner as tobe rotatable around a pivot pin 12a. The cartridge lid 12 is providedwith a spring 12b for urging the cartridge 2 in the axial direction ofthe cartridge 2 at the inner surface thereof, and a locking hook portion12c at the tip portion thereof which is projected therefrom.

A reference numeral 14 represents an engaging member for locking thecartridge lid 12, and it has a lock portion 14a which is engageable withthe hook portion 12c of the cartridge lid 12, and a tab 14b which isused to move the engaging member 14 at the outside. The construction ofthese elements will be described later.

(Cartridge-load detection switch 62)

A reference numeral 15 represents a detection pin for detecting the loadand non-load of the cartridge. The detection pin 15 includes a pin body15a having a slant surface P at the tip portion thereof, a flange formedintegrally with the pin body 15a, and a projection portion 15c projectedfrom the flange 15b. A guide sleeve 10a for accommodating the pin body15a in such a manner that the pin body 15a is laterally slidable isprovided to the lower end portion of the camera body 10 in theneighborhood of the cartridge lid 12. The pin body 15a is projectedthrough the guide sleeve 10a into the cartridge chamber, and theprojection amount of the pin body 15a into the cartridge chamber isrestricted by the contact between the flange 15b and the peripheral edgeportion of an aperture of the guide sleeve 10a.

A reference numeral 62 represents a cartridge-load detection switchcomprising a pair of armatures 16 and 17 which are designed in the formof a plate spring, and the base portions of the respective armatures 16and 17 are secured to the outer peripheral surface of the camera body 10in such a manner that an insulator 18 is sandwiched therebetween. Eachof the armatures 16 and 17 extends downwardly, and the tip portion ofthe armature 16 urges the detection pin 15 through the projectionportion 15c in a left direction of FIG. 1. The armature 16 is grounded,and the armature 17 is connected to an input port I₁ of a CPU 60 asdescribed later.

When the cartridge 2 is not loaded into the cartridge chamber 11, thearmatures 16 and 17 are in a non-contact state as shown in FIG. 1. Uponloading the cartridge 2, the cartridge 2 is contacted with the slantsurface P of the pin body 15a at the time when only the upper portion ofthe cartridge 2 is inserted into the cartridge chamber 11. When thecartridge 2 is further slightly inserted into the cartridge chamber toshift the cartridge 2 to a state as shown in FIG. 2, the detection pin15 is pushed by the cartridge 2 through the slant surface P, so that itis slid along the guide sleeve 10a in the right direction. Through therightward movement of the detection pin 15, the armature 16 is pushed bythe projection 15c in the right direction and it is contacted with thearmature 17. Through this operation, the cartridge-load detection switch62 is switched on, and the input port I₁ of the CPU 60 is kept to alow-level state.

A reference numeral 19 represents an engaging and driving member forrotating a spool shaft 2e in engagement with an engaging portion 2c ofthe cartridge 2. When the cartridge 2 is completely inserted into thecartridge chamber 11, as shown in FIG. 3, the spool shaft 2e is engagedwith the engaging and driving member 19. Thereafter, the cartridge lid12 is closed, so that the cartridge 2 is upwardly urged by the spring12b. In this state, the cartridge-load detection switch 62 is kept tothe on-state.

On the other hand, when the cartridge 2 is unloaded from the cartridgechamber 11, the cartridge-load detection switch 62 is kept to theon-state until the cartridge 2 is drawn out and a positionalrelationship between the cartridge 2 and the cartridge chamber 11 asshown in FIG. 2 is attained. When the cartridge 2 is further drawn outto substantially pass over the detection pin 15 as shown in FIG. 2, thecartridge 2 is retracted from the slant surface P of the pin body 15a,so that the detection pin 15 is driven in the left direction of FIG. 2with an urging force of the armature 16 through the projection 15c.Through this operation, the armature 16 is separated from the armature17, and thus the cartridge-load detection switch 62 is shifted to theoff-state. That is, the switch 62 is switched off when the cartridge 2is substantially completely drawn out from the cartridge chamber 11.

(Cartridge lid locking mechanism)

FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams of a lock mechanism for thecartridge 12.

The engaging member 14 is so designed as to be movable between anengagement position as shown in FIG. 4 and a release position as shownin FIG. 5, and it is usually urged toward the engagement position(upwardly) by a spring 14e. The cartridge lid 12 is locked to the camerabody 10 through engagement between the lock portion 14a of the engagingmember 14 and the hook portion 12c of the cartridge lid 12.

A reference numeral 5 represents a lever which is rotatable around ashaft 5a. The lever 5 is usually urged in a counterclockwise directionof FIG. 4 by a spring 5b, and the counterclockwise rotation of the lever5 is restricted by a pin 5d. When the hook portion 12c is not inengagement with the lock portion 14a (when the cartridge lid 12 isopened), the hook portion 5c of the lever 5 is engaged with theprojection 14c of the engaging member 14 as shown in FIG. 5, so that themovement of the engaging member 14 to the engagement position isprevented.

A reference numeral 6 represents an insulating substrate having twoconductive patterns 6a and 6b, and when the engaging member 14 is in therelease position as shown in FIG. 5, a slide brush 14d provided at theend portion of the engaging member 14 is in contact with the conductivepatterns 6a and 6b. The conductive pattern 6a is grounded while theconductive pattern 6b is connected to an input port I₂ of the CPU 60 asdescribed later. Therefore, when the engaging member 14 is in therelease position, the input port I₂ is in the low-level state. Theconductive patterns 6a and 6b and the brush 14d constitute acartridge-lid open/close state detection switch 63.

In FIG. 5, when the cartridge lid 12 is manipulated to be closed in adirection as indicated by an arrow Op11, the hook portion 12c is movedto such a position that it is engageable with the lock portion 14a, andthe projection 12d is contacted with the lever 5 to clockwise rotate thelever 5 against the urging force of the spring 5b. The hook portion 5cof the lever 5 is retracted from the projection 14c of the engagingmember 14, so that the engaging member 14 is moved upwardly, that is, tothe engagement position in a direction as indicated by an arrow Op12 bythe urging force of the spring 14e. Therefore, the lock portion 14a ofthe engaging member 14 is engaged with the hook portion 12c of thecartridge lid 12, so that the cartridge lid 12 is locked to the camerabody as shown in FIG. 4. Interlockingly with the movement of theengaging member 14 to the engagement position, the slide brush 14d isseparated from the conductive patterns 6a and 6b, so that the cartridgelid open/close state detecting switch 63 is switched off and the inputport I₂ of the CPU 60 is shifted to the high level state.

When the engaging member 14 is downwardly moved in a direction asindicated by an arrow Op1 of FIG. 4 to the release position as shown inFIG. 5 against the urging force of the spring 14e by the tab 14b in astate where the cartridge lid 12 is closed, the engagement between thelock portion 14a and the hook portion 12c is released, so that thecartridge lid 12 is opened in a direction as indicated by an arrow Op2,for example, by an urging force of a spring (not shown). When thecartridge lid 12 is opened in the direction as indicated by the arrowOp2, the lever 5 is counterclockwise rotated by the urging force of thespring 5b, and the hook portion 5c is engaged with the projection 14c ofthe engaging member 14, so that the engaging member 14 is engaged at theengagement position as shown in FIG. 5. When the engaging member 14 isin the release position, the cartridge lid open/close state detectingswitch 63 is switched on, and the input port I₂ of the CPU 60 is shiftedto the low-level state.

(Film feeding device 100)

The construction of the film feeding device for the camera will bedescribed with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

A reference numeral 3 represents a film wind-up spool formed integrallywith a gear 4. In a film wind-up operation, the film wind-up spool 3 issupplied with a rotation-transmitting force in a film wind-up direction(a direction as indicated by a one-dotted chain line) through the gear 4to wind up the film 1. The film feeding device whose whole constructionis represented by a reference numeral 100 has two electric motors eachserving as a driving source, and carries out the following film feedingoperation.

(1) When a film feed-out driving system as shown in FIG. 7 is set up,upon loading of the cartridge 2 into the camera, a film 1 is fed outfrom the cartridge 2 by a predetermined amount so that it is woundaround a take-up spool 3.

(2) When a film wind-up driving system as shown in FIG. 6 is set up,upon completion of a photographic operation for one frame, the take-upspool 3 winds up the film 1 by one frame.

(3) When a film rewind driving system as shown in FIG. 8 is set up, uponcompletion of the photographic operation for all frames, the spool shaft2e of the cartridge 2 is rotated to rewind the film 1 into the cartridge2.

A film initial feed-out operation, a film wind-up operation and a filmrewind operation will be successively described in this order.

(Film initial feed-out operation)

An engaging and driving member 19 is provided with a film driving key19a which is engageable with the engaging portion 2c of the spool shaft2e and is so constructed as to be rotatable integrally with a filmdriving gear 22. In the film initial feed-out operation, the gear 22 isrotated through a gear train 21 by a first electric motor 20, and thefeed-out of the film 1 is carried out interlockingly with the rotationof the gear 22 when the cartridge 2 is loaded into the camera. FIG. 6shows a state where the film driving key 19a and the engaging portion 2care not in engagement with each other, however, the film driving key 19ais actually so designed as to extend in its axial direction so that thefilm driving key 19a is engaged with the engaging portion 2c when thecartridge 2 is loaded into the camera.

A reference numeral 40 represents a feed-amount detection roller whichis rotatable interlockingly with the movement of the film 1 fed out fromthe cartridge 2, and a reference numeral 43 represents a pushing rollerwhich is urged against the film 1 by a spring (not shown). The film 1runs between the rollers 40 and 43 while sandwiched therebetween underpressure, and the feed-amount detection roller 40 is rotated asfollowing the running of the film 1. The feed-amount detection roller 40is provided with a film shift-amount detection switch 69 at the uppersurface thereof to detect the feed-amount of the film 1 on the basis ofthe rotation amount of the roller 40.

The switch 69 comprises a conductive pattern 41 formed integrally on theupper surface of the roller 40, and brushes 42a and 42b which areslidable on the conductive pattern 41. The brush 42a is usually incontact with the conductive pattern 41 while the other brush 42b isintermittently contacted with the conductive pattern 41 through therotation of the roller 40. The brush 42a is grounded while the brush 42bis connected to a counter 68 as shown in FIG. 9 as described later andfurther connected through a pull-up resistor 70 to a power source. Thecounter 68 is counted up every time the brush 42b is contacted with theconductive pattern 41 through the rotation of the roller 40. In thisembodiment as shown in the figures, eight pulses are counted by thecounter 68 for one rotation of the roller 40, and on the basis of thecount value of the counter 68, the rotation amount of the feed-amountdetection roller 40, that is, the shift amount of the film 1 can bedetected.

The number of pulses for one rotation of the roller 40 may be freelyaltered by modifying the shape of the conductive pattern to any shape.

(Film wind-up operation)

The film 1 fed out from the cartridge 2 passes over the detection roller40 as described above, then passes through a well-known film passagewaywhich is called as "tunnel" and comprises inner and outer rail portionsand a film platen, and then fed to an outer peripheral portion of thetake-up spool 3. In the film passageway, the film 1 passes through anaperture portion which defines a photographic frame. On the outerperipheral surface of the take-up spool 3, the film 1 is pushed to thetake-up spool 3 by a pushing roller having an urging spring (not shown).Upon feeding the film 1 to the take-up spool 3, the film feed-out motor20 is stopped, and the motor 30 is rotated so that the take-up spool 3is rotated in the wind-up direction (a direction as indicated by anarrow of one-dotted chain line of FIG. 6). The film 1 is wound aroundthe spool 3 through the urging force of pushing roller, and the wind-upof the film 1, that is, the pull-out of the film 1 from the cartridge 2is successively carried out.

The film wind-up operation by the take-up spool 3 is carried out bytransmitting the rotational force of the second motor 30 through arotation transmission gear train 31, a epicyclic gear mechanism 32 whoseengaging direction is selectable and a rotation transmission gear train33 for the film wind-up to a driving gear 4 integrally with the spool 3.A judgment as to whether the film 1 has been wound around the take-spool3 and the detection of the feed-amount of one frame of the film 1 arecarried out by counting the output pulses of the switch 69 comprisingthe conductive pattern 41 on the detection roller 40 and the brushes 42aand 42b with the counter 68 and performing a necessary calculation onthe basis of the count value.

The film rewind operation after all frames have been photographed iscarried out by rotating the spool shaft 2e through the driving gear 22with the rotational force of the motor 30 in a direction opposite tothat of the film feed-out operation.

(Selection of the wind-up gear train 33 and the rewind gear train 34)

In this embodiment, the second motor 30 is used as the driving sourcefor the film wind-up operation and the film rewind operation. In thefilm rewind operation, the motor 30 is rotated in the direction oppositeto that in the film wind-up operation. The reverse rotation of the motor30 causes an epicyclic gear 36 of the epicyclic gear mechanism 32 asdescribed above to be shifted from the state as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7to a state as shown in FIG. 8 where the epicyclic gear 36 is engagedwith a rotation-transmitting gear train 34 for the film rewindoperation. In this state, the rotation of the motor 30 is transmitted tothe driving gear 22 which is linked to the spool shaft 2e, and the filmrewind operation is carried out.

The epicyclic gear mechanism 32 is used to selectively transmit therotation of the motor 30 for winding up and rewinding the film 1 asdescribed above to one of the wind-up gear train 33 and the rewind geartrain 34. The epicyclic gear mechanism 32 includes a sun gear 35 whichis a gear at the last stage of the rotation-transmitting gear train 31at the motor 30 side, the epicyclic gear 36 engaged with the sun gear35, and a lever arm 37 which is pivotally supported at the rotation axisof the sun gear 35 while friction is applied to the sun gear 35 by afriction spring (not shown) and which pivotally supports the epicyclicgear 36 at the swing end thereof. The rotational force of the sun gear35 is transmitted to the lever arm 37 in the rotational direction, sothat the lever arm 37 is swung interlockingly with the rotation of thesun gear 35. Through the swing operation of the lever arm 37, theepicyclic gear 36 is selectively engaged with the gear 33 at the wind-upside or the gear 34 at the rewind side to transmit the rotation in adesired direction.

(Linkage and Separation of Feed-out gear train 21)

In this embodiment, another epicyclic gear mechanism 26 is provided tothe rotation-transmitting gear train 21 for transmitting the rotationfrom the film feed-out motor 20 to the film driving gear 22. Theepicyclic gear mechanism 26 is provided with a sun gear 23 serving as agear at the motor side, an epicyclic gear 25 which is engaged with thesun gear 23, and a lever arm 24 which is pivotally supported at therotational axis of the sun gear 23 while friction is applied to the sungear 23 by a friction spring (not shown) and which pivotally supportsthe epicyclic gear 25 at the swing end thereof. In the film feed-outoperation, interlockingly with the rotation of the motor 20 side, thelever arm 24 is clockwise swung in the same direction as the rotationaldirection of the sun gear 23, and the epicyclic gear 25 is engaged witha driven gear 27 of the film driving gear 22 side. When the film 1 iswound up by the take-up spool 3 in a state where the feed-out operationof the film 1 is completed and the motor 20 is stopped, the film drivinggear 22 is rotated by the rotation of the spool shaft 2e which is causedby the film wind-up operation, so that the driven gear 27 and theepicyclic gear 25 are rotated. In this case, since the lever arm 24applies the friction to the sun gear 23 through the friction spring, thelever arm 24 is swingably driven in such a direction that the engagementbetween the epicyclic gear 25 and the gear 27 is released.

The release operation of the engagement as described above will bedescribed in more detail.

When the motor 20 is rotated in a direction as indicated by an arrow ofsolid line in FIG. 6, the swing motion of the lever arm 24 which followsthe rotation of the sun gear 23 enables the epicyclic gear 25 to engagewith the driven gear 27 as shown in FIG. 7, the driving gear 22 isrotated in the film feed-out direction to carry out the feed-outoperation of the film 1 from the cartridge 2. When the leading edge ofthe film 1 reaches the outer peripheral portion of the spool 3, therotation of the feed-out motor 20 is stopped, and the gear train 33 atthe wind-up side is rotated by the motor 30.

It is assumed that the film feeding device at the start time of the filmwind-up operation as described above is in the state as shown in FIG. 7.When the feed-out motor 20 is stopped and the motor 30 is rotated sothat the take-up spool 3 starts its wind-up rotation, a tensile force isapplied to the film wound-up around the take-up spool 3 in the filmfeed-out direction, whereby the spool shaft 2e inside the cartridge 2 isrotated interlockingly with the wind-up operation of the film 1. Throughthe rotation of the spool shaft, the driving gear 22 is rotated in thefilm feeding direction, and the driven gear 27 is also rotated asindicated by a solid line of FIG. 7.

Since the feed-out motor 20 side is being stopped, the epicyclic gear 25is clockwise revolved around the sun gear 23 interlockingly with therotation of the driven gear 27 because the lever arm 24 applies frictionto the sun gear 23 through the friction spring, and then stopped at sucha position that it is not engaged with the driven gear 27. Through thisoperation, the driving gear 22 and the feed-out motor 20 are separatedfrom each other in the film wind-up operation. This state corresponds tothe position relationship as shown in FIG. 6, and the film wind-upoperation as described above is successively carried out. It ispreferable that a surplus space is set to the engagement releaseposition and a stopper for restricting the movement of the epicyclicgear 25 is provided.

According to the construction as described above, the epicyclic gear 25of the epicyclic gear mechanism 26 is clockwise swung when therotational force is transmitted from the motor 20 side while it iscounterclockwise swung when the rotational force is transmitted from thedriving gear 22, so that the linkage and separation of therotation-transmitting gear train 21 to and from the feed-out motor 20and the driving gear 22 are automatically carried out in accordance withthe feed-out operation and the wind-up operation of the film 1.Therefore, no cumbersome control is required irrespective of a simpleconstruction, and the film feed-out driving system and the film wind-updriving system can be driven in a required state.

(Film rewind operation)

In the construction as described above, when on the basis of thecounting operation of the counter 68 for the pulses transmitted from thefeed-amount detection roller 40, it is detected that the film 1 is woundup by a predetermined number of frames so that all frames have beenphotographed, the motor 30 is rotated in a direction as indicated by anarrow of dotted line of FIG. 6, and the gear 32 is clockwise rotatedthrough the gear train 31. Through this operation, the epicyclic gear 36is clockwise revolved around the sun gear 35, and the system is changedfrom the film wind-up system as shown in FIG. 6 to the film rewindsystem as shown in FIG. 8. The gear 22 is clockwise rotated through thefilm rewind system as shown in FIG. 8, so that the film 1 is rewoundinto the cartridge 2. When the film 1 is rewound to be separated fromthe feed-amount detection roller 40, the roller 40 does not follow themovement of the film 1, so that a pulse signal due to the on/offoperation of the switch 69 can not be detected. The motor 30 iscontinued to be further rotated for a constant time without generatingany pulse signals to thereby completely rewind the film 1 into thecartridge 2, and then the motor 30 is stopped to complete the filmrewinding operation. After the rewinding operation is completed, themotor 30 is counterclockwise rotated to connect the epicyclic gear 36 tothe wind-up gear train 33. This operation is required for the followingreason.

Since the epicyclic gear 36 of the epicyclic gear mechanism 32 isengaged with the rewinding gear train 34 after the rewinding operationis completed, an undesired load would be applied to the motor 20 if anewly-loaded film 1 is immediately fed out with the gear 36 beingengaged with the gear train 34. That is, the counterclockwise rotationof the motor 20 causes the rewinding gear train 34 to rotate in anopposite direction to that as indicated by an arrow of solid line ofFIG. 8, and the rotation of the rewinding gear train 34 is transmittedthrough the epicyclic gear 36 to the epicyclic gear mechanism 32. Sincethe epicyclic gear 36 is clockwise rotated through the transmission ofthe rotational force and the lever arm 37 of the sun gear 35 isclockwise swung, the rotation of the motor 20 is transmitted through therewinding gear train 34, the epicyclic gear mechanism 32 and therotation-transmitting gear train 31 to the motor 30. In general, therotation-transmitting gear train 31 serves as a decelerating system incase where the motor 30 causes the gear train 31 to be rotated. However,when the rotation-transmitting gear train 31 is rotated by the load side(the side of the sun gear 35), it serves as an accelerating system andit has a large load resistance, so that it serves as a large load to themotor 20. In order to avoid this disadvantage, before the film feed-outoperation is carried out by the motor 20, the motor 30 is beforehandcounterclockwise rotated to keep the epicyclic gear 36 to be engagedwith the wind-up gear train 33 as shown in FIG. 6.

It is significant that before the motor 30 is clockwise rotated to carryout the film rewinding operation, the motor 20 is clockwise rotated toseparate the epicyclic gear 25 from the driven gear 27. The necessity ofthis operation will be hereunder described.

After the film wind-up operation is completed by the film feeding systemas shown in FIG. 6, there rarely occurs a circumstance where theepicyclic gear 25 of the epicyclic gear mechanism 26 is engaged with thedriven gear 27. If this circumstance occurs, the rotation of the motor30 in the rewinding direction causes the driving gear 22 to be rotatedin a different direction from the film feed-out direction, so thatthrough the transmission of the rotational force from the driven gear 27to the epicyclic gear 25, the lever arm 24 of the sun gear 23 is swungin such a direction that the epicyclic gear 25 is engaged with thedriven gear 27. Therefore, the rotational force of the driven gear 27 istransmitted through the epicyclic gear 25, the sun gear 23 and the gear28 to the motor 20. Generally, the rotation-transmitting gear train 21for the film feed-out operation serves as the decelerating system incase where the motor 20 causes the gear train 21 to be rotated.Therefore, if the rotation-transmitting gear train 21 for the filmfeed-out operation is rotated by the load side (the side of the filmdriving gear 22), it serves as the accelerating system and has a largeload resistance, so that it serves as a large load to the motor 30. Inorder to avoid this disadvantage, it is preferable that before the motor30 is rotated to carry out the film rewinding operation, the motor 20 isbeforehand reversely rotated in the clockwise direction to separate theepicyclic gear 25 from the driven gear 27.

With this construction, the feed-out operation of the film from thecartridge 2, the film wind-up operation and the film rewinding operationcan be properly and surely carried out using two motors 20 and 30.

The construction of a control system of a drive control mechanism forthe camera and the film feeding device 100 described above will be nextdescribed with reference to FIG. 9.

A reference numeral 60 represents a microcomputer (hereinafter referredto as "CPU"), and a reference numeral 61 represents a battery for powersupply. A reference numeral 62 represents the cartridge-load detectionswitch as described above, which comprises the armatures 16 and 17 andserves to detect the load of the cartridge 2 into the cartridge chamber11 in accordance with the movement of the detection pin 15. A referencenumeral 63 represents the cartridge lid open/close detection switch asdescribed above, which comprises the conductive patterns 6a and 6b onthe insulating substrate 6 and the brushes 14d and serves to detect theopening and closing state of the cartridge lid 12 in accordance with themovement of the engaging member 14. A reference numeral 64 represents arelease switch which is switched on interlockingly with a pushingmanipulation of a release button (not shown). One end of each of theswitches 62 to 64 is connected to each of the input ports I₁ to I₃ ofthe CPU, and the other ends of the switches are grounded.

Reference numerals 66 and 67 represent motor control circuits forcontrolling the rotation and stopping operations of the film feed-outmotor 20 and the wind-up and rewind motor 30 respectively, and the motorcontrol circuit 66 is connected to the output ports O₁ and O₂ of the CPU60 while the other motor control circuit 67 is connected to the outputports O₃ and O₄ of the CPU 60. Each of the motors 20 and 30 is forwardlyrotated (in the film feed-out and wind-up direction) when only one portO₁ (O₃ ) is in the high-level state, and it is reversely rotated (in thefilm rewinding direction, etc.) when only the other port O₂ (O₄) is inthe high-level state. Further, when both of the ports O₁ and O₂ (O₃ andO₄) are in the low-level state, both of the motors 20 and 30 arestopped.

A reference numeral 68 represents a counter, and a reference numeral 69represents the film shift-amount detection switch as described abovewhich comprises the conductive pattern 41 and the brushes 42a and 42b.The counter 68 serves to count output pulses of the switch 69 whoseon/off operation is carried out interlockingly with the rotation of thefeed-amount detection roller 40, and outputs the count value to the CPU60. The count value of the counter 68 is reset to zero on the basis ofan instruction from the CPU 60. A reference numeral 70 represents apull-up resistor for pulling up the voltage of the brush 42b serving asone end of the switch 69, which is alternately contacted andnon-contacted with the conductive pattern 41, to the voltage of thebattery 61. The brush 42b is also connected to the counter 68. Areference numeral 71 represents an exposure device such as a shutter, adiaphragm or a diaphragm control device for the camera, and it serves tocontrol a shutter speed or the diaphragm on the basis of an instructionfrom the CPU 60 for a photographic operation.

Next, the control procedure of the CPU 60 will be described withreference to flowcharts of FIGS. 10 to 14.

Upon load of the battery 61 into the camera, a main program as shown inFIG. 10 is started, and the load of the cartridge 2 into the cartridgechamber 11 is checked through the on/off operation of the cartridge-loaddetection switch 62 (at a step S101). When the load of the cartridge 2is confirmed and the closing state of the cartridge lid 12 is confirmedon the basis of a signal from the cartridge lid open/close detectionswitch 63 at a step S102, the feed-out operation of the film 1 iscarried out by the film feed-out driving system described above at astep S103.

The details of the film feed-out step S103 is shown in FIG. 11. At astep S201, the forward rotation of the motor 30 is carried out throughthe motor control circuit 67 (in FIG. 9) for a predetermined time. Thatis, as described above, since the epicyclic gear 36 of the epicyclicgear mechanism 32 is engaged with the rewinding gear train 34 when thefilm rewinding operation is finished, the motor 30 is forwardly rotatedfor a suitable time exceeding a time required to allow the epicyclicgear 36 to engage with the wind-up gear train 33. Through thisoperation, the motor 20 does not suffer from the load resistance of therotation-transmitting gear train 31 and the motor 30.

Subsequently, at a step S202, the forward rotation of the motor (in thefeed-out direction) is started through the motor control circuit 66 tocarry out the feed-out of the film 1. At a step S203, the feed-outamount of the film 1 is calculated on the basis of the count value ofthe counter 68 to judge whether the film 1 is fed out by a predeterminedamount at which the film 1 reaches the wind-up spool 3. At the time whenthe predetermined feed-out amount is judged, at a step S204 the motor 20is stopped to stop the film feed-out operation. Subsequently, at a stepS205 the count value of the counter 68 is reset to zero, and then theprogram returns to the main program as shown in FIG. 10 so that theprocess is shifted to a step S104.

At the step S104, the take-up spool 3 of the camera is rotated to carryout the wind-up operation of the film 1 around the spool 3. The detailsof the step S104 is shown in FIG. 12. At a step S301, the motor 30 isforwardly rotated in the wind-up direction through the motor controlcircuit 67 to wind the film 1 around the spool 3. At a step S302, in thesame manner as described above, it is judged on the basis of the countvalue of the counter 68 whether the film 1 is wound around the take-upspool 3 by a predetermined amount. The affirmative judgment at the stepS302 causes the motor 30 to be stopped (at a step S303) and the counter68 to be reset to zero (at a step S304). Thereafter the program returnsto the main program shown in FIG. 10.

At a step S105 of FIG. 10, in accordance with an exposure control mode ashutter speed or a diaphragm value is calculated by inputting variousparameters, for example, inputting brightness of an object through aphotoelectric converting element (not shown), inputting film sensitivitythrough a film-sensitivity setting device (not shown), etc. At a stepS106, it is judged whether the release switch 64 is switched on or off.If the release switch 64 is judged to be off, the program returns to thestep S105. If the release switch 64 is judged to be on, at a step S107,the exposure control device 71 is controlled so that the shutter speedand the diaphragm value calculated at the step S105 are obtained, andthen a photographic operation is carried out. Thereafter, at a stepS108, the film is wound up by one frame. The film wind-up process isshown in detail in FIG. 13.

A time counting is started at a step S401 of FIG. 13. This time countingis used to check whether the film is fed out by one frame for apredetermined time. At a step S402, the forward rotation of the motor 30is started through the motor control circuit 67 to rotate the take-upspool 3, and the wind-up of the film 1 is started.

At a step S403, on the basis of the count value of the counter 68 forcounting the pulse signal from the film shift-amount detection switch69, it is judged whether the film wind-up amount reaches that for oneframe. If the judgment at the step S403 is "No", the program goes to astep S404 while if the judgment at the step S403 is "Yes", the programgoes to a step S405.

At the step S404, on the judgment as to whether the time of the timecounting started at the step S401 exceeds a predetermined time, it isjudged whether the film can not be wound up even by one frame due to thetrailing end of the film. If the time does not exceed the predeterminedtime, the program returns to the step S403. If the start time exceedsthe predetermined time, the film is judged to reach the trailing endthereof, and the program goes to a step S409 to stop the motor 30.Subsequently, at a step S410, a wind-up completion flag F is set to "0",and then the program goes to a step S407.

At a step S405, the motor 30 is stopped, and at a step S406 the wind-upcompletion flag F is set to "1". At a step S407, the counter is reset tozero, and a step S408 the time counting is stopped, thereafter theprogram returning to the main program shown in FIG. 10.

When the film can not be wound up by one frame within the predeterminedtime due to the trailing end thereof, the wind-up completion flag F isset to "0" because the film wind-up is not completed. On the other hand,when the film is wound up by one frame within the predetermined time,the wind-up completion flag F is set to "1".

At a step S109 of FIG. 10, it is judged whether the wind-up completionflag F is set to "1" or "0". If the wind-up completion flag F is judgedto be "1", the program returns to the step S105 because the film doesnot reach its trailing end, and the photographic procedure for eachframe is repeat.

If the wind-up completion flag F is judged to be "0" at the step S109,the film is judged to reach its trailing end. Therefore, at a step S110,the film 1 which is wound up around the take-up spool 3 is rewound intothe cartridge 2. The detailed procedure of this film rewinding operationare shown in FIG. 14.

At a step S501, the motor 20 is reversely rotated through the motorcontrol circuit 66 for a predetermined time to separate the gear 22 fromthe motor 20. The predetermined time is set to a suitable time exceedinga time required for surely separating the epicyclic gear 25 at thefeed-out side from the gear 27. Through the separation of the gear 22from the motor 20, the reverse rotation of the motor 30 is nottransmitted to the gear train 21 for the film feed-out and the motor 20in the film rewinding operation, so that these elements do not serve asload resistance to the motor 30.

At steps S502 to 506, the reverse rotation of the rewinding motor 30 isstarted to start the time counting for the judgment as to the movementof the film, and the film movement is confirmed on the basis of thejudgment as to whether the count value is above "1". If the film moves,after the count value is reset to "0" and the time counting is stopped,the program returns to the step S503 at which the time counting isstarted.

If at the step S504 the count value is judged to be "0", at a step S507the program awaits its operation for a predetermined time until it issurely judged that the film is not moved. After a time required to shiftthe leading end of the film from the position of the feed-amountdetection roller 40 into the cartridge 2 is kept by the lapse of thetime-counting time as described above, the motor 30 is stopped at thesteps S508 to S510. Subsequently, the counter is reset and the timecounting is stopped, and then the program returns to the main programshown in FIG. 10. Through this operation, the rewinding operation of thefilm 1 into the cartridge 2 is completed.

At a step S111 of FIG. 10, the open or close state of the cartridge lid12 is judged on the basis of the on/off signal of the cartridge lidopen/close detection switch 63. If the cartridge lid 12 is judged to beclosed, the program stays at the step S111. On the other hand, if thecartridge lid 12 is judged to be open, the program goes to a step S112.At a step S112, it is judged whether the cartridge 2 is loaded into thecartridge chamber 11 on the basis of the on/off state of thecartridge-load detection switch 62. If the cartridge 2 is judged to beloaded into the cartridge chamber 11, the program returns to the stepS111. If not so, the program goes to the initial step S101.

The foregoing steps are the detailed procedure of the CPU 60. At thesteps S101 and S112 of FIG. 10, the presence of the cartridge 2 in thecartridge chamber 11 is judged on the basis of the on/off signal of thecartridge-load detection switch 62. The cartridge-load detection switch62 comprises the armatures 16 and 17 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and itswitches on/off interlockingly with the movement of the detection pin 15provided in the neighborhood of the film insertion inlet of thecartridge chamber 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the switch 62 isswitched on at the time when the upper portion of the cartridge 2 isinserted into the cartridge chamber 11, and the judgment at the stepS101 becomes affirmative. Thereafter, when the cartridge 2 is completelyloaded into the cartridge chamber 11 as shown in FIG. 3 and then thecartridge lid 12 is closed, the judgment at the step S102 becomesaffirmative, and the film initial feed-out operation is carried out atthe steps S103 and S104 to allow the film of the cartridge to bephotographed.

Thereafter, when all frames are photographed, the film is automaticallyrewound. Upon opening of the cartridge lid 12 after the rewind of thefilm, the judgment at the step S111 becomes affirmative. Since thecartridge detection switch 62 is provided near to the inlet of thecartridge chamber 11 as shown in FIG. 2, it is first switched offimmediately before the take-out of the cartridge 2 is substantiallycompleted. That is, the switch 62 is not switched off in any state wherethe cartridge is halfway or partially drawn out from the cartridgechamber 11. Since the judgment at the step S112 does not becomeaffirmative unless the switch 62 is once switched off, even when thecartridge 2 is afterwards inserted into the cartridge chamber 11 againand the cartridge lid 12 is closed, the process stays at the step S111.Therefore, the film 1 is not fed out from the cartridge 2. That is, inthis embodiment, insofar as the cartridge 2 is completely drawn out orremoved from the cartridge chamber 11, the cartridge 2 is not subjectedto the initial feed-out operation again.

This invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and variousmodifications and alterations may be made to the shapes, constructions,etc. of the film feeding device 100 and other elements. For example, inthe above embodiment, a general film feeding mode is adopted. That is,the film 1 is fed out from the cartridge 2 loaded into the camera to thetake-up spool 3, then wound therearound and every photographic operationfor each frame the film 1 is wound up around the take-up spool 3. Afterall the frames are photographed, the spool shaft at the cartridge 2 sideis rotated to rewind the film 1 into the cartridge 2. The film feedingmode of this invention is not limited to the general film feeding modeas described above, and may be applied to the following film feedingmode. That is, an unexposed film 1 is once wound up by the take-up spool3 when the cartridge 2 is loaded into the cartridge chamber 11, and thenthe film 1 is rewound every frame into the cartridge 2 interlockinglywith the photographic operation.

The camera of the above embodiment is so designed that thecartridge-load detection switch 62 is switched off when the cartridge 2is substantially completely drawn out from the cartridge chamber 11. Thesame effect can be obtained by designing the cartridge-load detectionswitch 62 to be switched off when at least a half of the cartridge 2 isdrawn out from the cartridge chamber 11. Further, the construction ofthe cartridge-load detection switch is not limited to that of the aboveembodiment. In the above embodiment, the film initial feed-out operationis started when the cartridge lid is closed after the load of thecartridge into the cartridge chamber. However, the film initial feed-outoperation may be started, for example, when a release button ismanipulated after the close of the cartridge lid. Still further, theabove camera pertains to the camera in which the film is automaticallyrewound after the photographic operation for all frames is completed.However, this invention is applicable to a camera having a function thatthe film is freely rewound by manipulating a manual switch at any time.

Second Embodiment

A second embodiment according to this invention will be described withreference to FIGS. 16A to 24.

FIGS. 16A, 16B and 16C show a film cartridge which is loaded into acamera according to this embodiment. This cartridge 110 is the same typeof camera as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,275 or U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 730,070, for example. The cartridge 110 includes aspool 112 around which a film (not shown) is wound, and a cylindricalhousing 113 for forming a space in which the film (not shown) isaccommodated. The cylindrical housing 113 is provided with a lip portion113a projecting therefrom. The leading end of the film is beforehandtaken in the cartridge 110, and the film is fed out from or rewound intothe lip portion 113a by rotating the spool 112.

Like the cartridge as disclosed in the U.S. patent application Ser. No.730,070, the cartridge 110 has a mechanism for indicating andidentifying a film status, and indicates the film status on a filmstatus indication portion 114. That is, as shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C,the upper end surface of the cartridge 110 is divided into foursectorial areas, and indexes 114a, 114b and 114c for numbers "1", "2"and "3" each indicating a film status of the film in the cartridge 10are displayed on three sectorial areas of the above four areas by aprinting or the like. On the other hand, an indicator 112a which isrotatable interlockingly with the motion of the spool 112 is provided insuch a manner as to indicate one of the indexes 114a, 114b and 114c inaccordance with the stop position of the rotation of the spool 112. Thenumbers "1", "2" and "3" represent the following three kinds of filmstatuses, respectively.

(1) When the index 114a of "1" is indicated by the indicator 112a (inFIG. 16A), this film status indicates a cartridge accommodating a newlyunused (unexposed) film (hereinafter referred to as "unused filmcartridge").

(2) When the index 114b of "2" is indicated by the indicator 112a (inFIG. 16B), this film status indicates a cartridge which is prematurelyunloaded from the camera and accommodates a film whose frames arepartially photographed (hereinafter referred to as "prematurely-unloadedfilm cartridge").

(3) When the index 114c of "3" is indicated by the indicator 112a (inFIG. 16C), this film status indicates a cartridge accommodating a used(photographed) film whose all frames have been photographed (hereinafterreferred to as "used film cartridge or photographed film cartridge").

In the following embodiment, the spool 112 is controlled by the camerasuch that the indicator indicates "2" when the film is unloaded from thecamera before all frames are photographed, and indicates "3" when allframes are photographed and a rewind instruction is output. Therefore,when a user unloads the film cartridge from the camera, he can identifythe film status of the film in the cartridge 110 on the basis of theindication of the index. In place of the indexes "1", "2" and "3",characters such as "Non-used", "partial-used" and "used" or othernumbers or symbols may be used for the indexes 114a, 114b and 114c,respectively.

Like the cartridge as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.730,070, the cartridge 110 is equipped with a mechanism in which thepositional deviation of the indicator when the cartridge 110 is unloadedfrom the camera can be prevented and the film status can be indicatedwhen the cartridge 110 is loaded into the camera. A cylindrical housing113 is provided with a well-known DX code, so that the film sensitivity,the number of frames which can be photographed, etc. can be detected bythe camera.

FIGS. 17, 18A and 18B show an engaging portion 115 provided to the spool112 of the film cartridge 110, and a driving member 121 at the cameraside which is engageable with the engaging portion 115. Unlike thenormal 135-type of cartridge, the engaging portion 115 of thisembodiment is not a spline type, but has a special shape as shown in thefigures. In the 135-type of cartridge, two kinds of engagements can bemade within 360°. However, in this embodiment the engagement can be madeonly at the rotational angular position as shown in FIG. 18A, and noengagement can be made at the other rotational angular positions. Thisengaging portion 115 is provided not only to the upper end side of thespool 112, but also to the lower end side of the spool 112. Through theengagement between the engaging portion 115 and the driving member 121of the camera, the rotation of the spool 112, that is, the feeding ofthe film can be carried out. FIG. 18B shows a circumstance where noengagement can be made at the positional angular relationship obtainedby rotating the positional angular relationship as shown in FIG. 18A by180°.

The reason why only one kind of engagement is possible within 360° asdescribed above is explained as follows.

As described above, in this embodiment, the spool 112 is controlled tobe stopped at the position corresponding to the film status(prematurely-unloaded or used status), and this control is carried outby detecting the rotational position of the driving member 121 of thecamera. Therefore, if two kinds of engagements are possible within 360°like the 135-type spline, the spool 112 can not be controlled to bestopped at a desired position when the engagement to be actually made isunclear.

As shown in FIGS. 16 to 16C, two window portions 116a and 116b areformed at the lower portion of the cartridge 110 in such a manner as tobe angularly away from each other substantially by 90° in the peripheraldirection, and an engaging surface portion 117 which is integrallyformed at the lower portion of the spool 112 and rotated together withthe spool shaft 112e is exposed from each of the window portions 116aand 116b. The engaging surface portion 117 comprises a slant surface117a and a non-slant surface 117b, and one of the slant surface 117a andthe non-slant surface 117b is selectively exposed from each of thewindow portions 116a and 116b in accordance with the stop position ofthe spool 112 (film status) as follows.

(1) When "1" is indicated, the slant surface 117a is exposed from eachof the window portions 116a and 116b.

(2) When "2" is indicated, the slant surface 117a is exposed from thewindow portion 116a while the non-slant surface 117b is exposed from thewindow portion 116b.

(3) When "3" is indicated, the non-slant surface 117b is exposed fromeach of the window portions 116a and 116b.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the camera 120 is provided with a cartridgechamber 122 into which the film cartridge 110 can be loaded in its axialdirection. A load preventing pin 123 which is urged by a spring 123a isprovided on the side surface of the cartridge chamber 122 in such amanner as to be retractably projected in the direction perpendicular tothe loading direction of the cartridge at a position over which thewindow portion 116b of the cartridge is passed when the cartridge isloaded into the cartridge chamber 122. Therefore, when the slant surface117a is exposed from the window portion 116b as shown in FIG. 21A, theload preventing pin 123 is retracted by action of the slant surface 117aupon insertion of the cartridge 110 into the cartridge chamber 122, sothat the film cartridge 110 is allowed to be loaded into the cartridgechamber 122. On the other hand, when the non-slant surface 117b isexposed from the window portion 116b as shown in FIG. 21B, the non-slantsurface 117b abuts against the load preventing pin 123 upon insertion ofthe cartridge 110 into the cartridge chamber 122, so that the cartridge110 is mechanically prevented from being loaded into the cartridgechamber 122.

Therefore, it is impossible to load a used film cartridge 110 indicatedby "3" and a prematurely-unloaded film cartridge 110 indicated by "2"into the cartridge chamber 122, and it is possible to load only anunused film cartridge 110 indicated by "1" into the cartridge chamber122. When the loaded cartridge 110 is drawn out from the cartridgechamber 122 by a predetermined amount as shown in FIG. 21B, the loadpreventing pin 123 is returned to a projection state by the urging forceof the spring 123a.

In FIG. 19, a reference numeral 131 represents a cartridge lid which isswingable around a shaft 131a so that the opening and closing motion canbe carried out with respect to the camera body. The close state of thecartridge lid 131 is kept by a hook portion (not shown) provided to thetip thereof, and it is allowed to be opened by releasing the hookportion. A spring 131b for urging the cartridge 110 downwardly in FIG.19 is provided at the inner surface of the cartridge lid 131.

A cartridge-load detection switch 62 for detecting the load/unload ofthe cartridge comprises a detection pin 132 and a pair of armatures 133and 134, like the detection switch as shown in FIG. 1. The detection pin132 has a tip P which is projected into the cartridge chamber 122 by aspring force of the armature 133. When the cartridge 110 is not loadedinto the cartridge chamber 122, each of the armatures 133 and 134 is innon-contact state as shown in FIG. 19. On the other hand, when thecartridge 110 is loaded into the cartridge chamber 122, the armature 133is contacted with the armature 134 as shown in FIG. 21A, that is, theload-detection switch 62 is switched on. The armatures 133 and 134 aresecured to the outer peripheral surface of the cartridge chamber 122 insuch a manner as to sandwich an insulator 135 therebetween.

The detection pin 132 is provided at a position nearer to the cartridgeinsertion inlet than the position at which load preventing pin 123 isprovide, and thus when the cartridge 110 is unloaded from the cartridgechamber 122, the switch 62 is switched off after the load preventing pin123 is returned to the projection position.

A spool driving mechanism 100A for the camera for controlling both ofthe film feeding operation and the rotation stop position of the filmwill be described.

As shown in FIG. 22, the driving member 121 of the camera 120 describedabove is engaged with the engaging portion 115 at the lower side of thespool 112 to be rotatively driven by the cartridge driving motor 124.That is, the rotation of the motor 124 is transmitted to a gear 126athrough a decelerating gear mechanism 200 having a clutch 125 and agear, and the gear 126a, the shaft 126b and the driving member 121 areintegrally rotated with one another. The rotation of these elementscauses the rotation of the spool 112 of the cartridge 110, whereby thefilm is fed out from the cartridge 110 or rewound into the cartridge110.

A spring 127 is used as a well-known retractable mechanism in which,when the cartridge 110 is loaded into the cartridge chamber 122, theload of the cartridge 110 is permitted even though the engaging portion115 and the driving member 121 are angularly deviated from each other.If the angular deviation exists between the engaging portion 115 and thedriving member 121, the driving member 121 is downwardly retracted alongthe shaft 126b against the urging force of the spring 127A. At theretractive position as described above, the driving member 121 isrotatable integrally with the gear 126a and the shaft 126b. When thefilm is wound up by the spool (not shown) after the film feed-outoperation by the rotation of the spool 112, the rotation transmissionbetween the driving member 121 and the cartridge driving motor 124 isinterrupted from each other by the clutch 125.

The rotational position of the driving member 121 is detected by theposition detection switch 65 comprising conductive patterns 127a and127b provided on an insulating substrate 127B and the slidable brush128. The insulating substrate 128B is fixed inside the camera 120. Theslidable brush 128 is integrally rotated with the driving member 126a,and one terminal of the brush 128 is slid on the conductive pattern 127aat all times while the other terminal thereof is contacted with theconductive pattern 127b when the indicator 112a of the cartridge 110indicates the index 114c, that is, "3". Therefore, by grounding theconductive pattern 127a and connecting the conductive pattern 127b to aninput port of a control circuit 151 described later, it is identifiedwhether the angular position in the rotational direction of the drivingmember 121 corresponds to the position for a used film cartridge.

The control system for the camera 120 will be described with referenceto FIG. 23.

A reference numeral 151 represents a control circuit having amicrocomputer and other peripheral equipments such as a memory, acounter, etc. and serves to control the operation of the camera 120 inaccordance with a flowchart as described later. To the control circuit151 connected are the cartridge-load detection switch 62 shown in FIG.19, the cartridge lid open/close detection switch 63 which is switchedon interlockingly with the closing of the cartridge lid 131, and theposition detection switch 65 comprising the conductive patterns 127a and127b and the slidable brush 128. The position detection switch 65 isswitched on when the indicator 112a of the cartridge 110 indicates "3"which represents a used film cartridge. A reference numeral 152represents a motor driving circuit, and serves to drive the cartridgedriving motor 124 described above to carry out the film feed-outoperation, the film rewinding operation and the indication operation ofthe film status indication portion 114.

The control procedure of the control circuit 151 will be described withreference to a flowchart as shown in FIG. 24.

This program is started when a cell (not shown) is loaded into thecamera 120. First, at a step S1 it is judged on the basis of a on/offsignal of the load detection switch 62 whether the cartridge 110 isloaded into the cartridge chamber 122. If the switch 62 is judged to beoff, the cartridge 110 is judged not to be loaded into the cartridgechamber 122, and the program stays at the step S1. If the switch 62 isjudged to be on, the cartridge 110 is judged to be loaded into thecartridge chamber 122, and the program goes to a step S2.

At the step S2, on the basis of the on/off state of the cartridge lidopen/close detection switch 63, it is judged whether the cartridge lid131 is opened or closed. If the detection switch 63 is judged to be off,the cartridge lid 131 is judged to be opened, and the program returns tothe step S1. If not so, the cartridge lid 131 is judged to be closed,and the program goes to a step S3. At the step S3, the motor 124 isforwardly rotated through the motor driving circuit 152 to feed the filmfrom the cartridge 110 to a take-up spool (not shown). The arrival ofthe film at the take-up spool is detected by a film shift-amountdetection device comprising the film shift-amount detection switch 69and the counter 68 described above.

At the step S4 carried out is a well-known photographic process in whichthe film is wound up around the take-up spool by one frame everyphotographic operation. The description of the details of thephotographic process are eliminated. Upon completion of the photographicprocess, that is, upon completion of the photographic operation for allframes, the motor 124 is reversely rotated at a step S5 to rewind thefilm into the cartridge 110. The complete rewind of the film into thecartridge 110 is also detected by the film shift-amount detection devicedescribed above.

At steps S6 to S8, the rotational angular position of the spool 112 ofthe cartridge 110 is controlled by the driving member 121 so that theindicator 112a of the spool 112 is located so as to indicate the index114c, that is, "3". That is, at the step S6, the cartridge driving motor124 is first reversely rotated to rotate the spool 112 of the cartridge110 in the rewinding direction through the driving member 121.Subsequently, at the step S7, the program awaits its operation until theindicator 112a of the spool 112 is located so as to indicate "3", thatis, until the position detection switch 65 is switched on, and then theprogram goes to the step S8. At the step S8, the reverse rotation of themotor 124 is stopped.

At a step S9, on the basis of the on/off state of the cartridge lidopen/close detection switch 63, it is judged whether the cartridge lid131 is opened or closed. If the detection switch 63 is judged to be off,the cartridge lid 131 is judged to be opened, and the program goes to astep S10. If not so, the program stays at the step S9. At the step S10,on the basis of the on/off signal of the load detection switch 62, it isjudged whether the cartridge 110 is unloaded from the cartridge chamber122. If the load detection switch 62 is judged to be off, the cartridge110 is judged to be unloaded from the cartridge chamber 122, and theprogram returns to the step S1. If the load detection switch 62 isjudged to be on, the cartridge 110 is judged not to be unloaded from thecartridge chamber 122, and the program returns to the step S9.

According to the procedure as described above, when all frames have beenphotographed, the film is completely rewound into the cartridge 110, andthen the spool 112 is rotated so that the indicator 112a indicates the"3" representing a used film cartridge. Thereafter, the cartridge lid131 is opened to unload the cartridge 110 from the cartridge chamber122, so that the cartridge lid open/close detection switch 63 isswitched off. Further, when the cartridge 110 is completely unloadedfrom the cartridge chamber 122, the load detection switch 62 is switchedoff, and the process returns to the step S1. However, a loop process atthe steps S9 and S10 is circulatingly continued until the load detectionswitch 62 is switched off after the cartridge lid 131 is opened. Thatis, until the load detection switch 62 is once switched off and thenswitched on again, the film feed-out operation is not carried out evenif the cartridge lid 131 is closed. The load detection switch 62 is sodesigned as to be switched off after the load preventing pin 123 isreturned to the projection position as described above.

Therefore, when the cartridge 110 is partially drawn out from thecartridge chamber 122 to the extent that the load preventing pin 123 isnot returned to the projection position, the load detection switch 62 isnot switched off, and thus the film feeding operation is not carried outeven if the cartridge 110, which has not been completely drawn out fromthe cartridge chamber 111, is completely inserted into the cartridgechamber 122 again. Further, after the load preventing pin 123 isreturned to the projection position, the load detection switch 62 isswitched off. In this state, the load of the used film cartridge 110 isprevented by the load preventing pin 123, and thus the film feedingoperation of the film of the cartridge 110 can not be carried out.

Third Embodiment

A third embodiment of this invention will be described with reference toFIGS. 25 and 26.

In this embodiment, the load preventing pin 123A is also used as thedetection pin 132 shown in FIG. 19. That is, as shown in FIG. 25, onearmature 133 constituting the load detection switch 62 is designed so asto be engageable with the base end portion of the load preventing pin123A. When the load preventing pin 123A is retracted from the cartridgechamber 122 interlockingly with the load of the cartridge 110, thearmature 133 is pushed by the load preventing pin 123A as shown in FIG.26A interlockingly with the retractive motion of the load preventing pin123A to switch on the cartridge load detection switch 62. On the otherhand, when the load preventing pin 123A is projected into the cartridgechamber 122 by the urging force of the spring 123a, the load detectionswitch 62 is switched off interlockingly with the projecting motion ofthe load preventing pin 123A.

In this case, when the cartridge 110 is partially drawn out unloadedfrom the cartridge chamber 122 to the extent that the load preventingpin 123A is not returned to the projection position, the cartridge-loaddetection switch 62 is not switched off. Therefore, the feed-outoperation of the film in the cartridge is not carried out even thoughthe cartridge 110, which is partially drawn out from the cartridge 122,completely inserted into the cartridge chamber 122. When the cartridge110 is drawn out by a predetermined amount and the load preventing pin123A is returned to the projection position as shown in FIG. 26, theload detection switch 62 is switched off. However, in this state theload of the used film cartridge 110 is prevented by the load preventingpin 123A. Therefore, the feed-out operation of the film of the cartridgecan not be carried out.

According to this embodiment, the detection pin 132 as shown in FIG. 19is not required, so that the number of parts of the camera can bereduced and the construction of the camera can be simplified.

Modification of Third Embodiment

A modification of the third embodiment will be explained with referenceFIGS. 42 and 43.

In this modification, the armature 133 is also used as the spring 123aas shown in FIG. 25. That is, as shown in FIG. 42, one armature 133constituting the load detection switch 62 urges the projection 123B ofthe load preventing pin 123A to the right side as shown in FIG. 42. Whenthe load preventing pin 123A is retracted from the cartridge chamber 122upon the load the cartridge 110, the armature 133 is pushed by theprojection 123B of the load preventing pin 123A as shown in FIG. 43Ainterlockingly with the retractive motion of the load preventing pin123A, so that the cartridge-load detection switch 62 is switched on. Onthe other hand, when the load preventing pin 123A is projected into thecartridge chamber 122 by the urging force of the armature 133, the loaddetection switch 62 is switched off interlockingly with the projectingmotion of the load preventing pin 123A.

Therefore, when the cartridge 110 is partially drawn out from thecartridge chamber 122 to the extent that the load preventing pin 123A isnot returned to the projection position, the cartridge-load detectionswitch 62 is not switched off, so that the feeding operation of the filmis not carried out even when the cartridge 110, which is partially drawnout from the cartridge chamber 122, is completely inserted into thecartridge chamber 122. When the cartridge 110 is drawn out from thecartridge chamber 122 by a predetermined amount to return the loadpreventing pin 123A to the projection position as shown FIG. 43B, theload detection switch 62 is switched off. However, in this state theload of a used film cartridge 110 into the cartridge chamber 122 isprevented by the load preventing pin 123A, so that the feeding operationof the film of the cartridge 110 can not be carried out.

According to this modification, the spring 123a as shown in FIG. 25 isnot further required, so that the construction of the camera can besimplified with further reducing the number of the parts of the camera.

Fourth Embodiment

A fourth embodiment according to this invention will be described withreference to FIGS. 27 to 32.

The second and third embodiments pertain to a case where only the unusedfilm cartridge can be loaded into the camera. However, in thisembodiment, both of an unused film cartridge and a prematurely-unloadedfilm cartridge can be loaded into the camera. The same elements as thoseof FIGS. 16 to 23 are represented by the same reference numerals, andthe different points therebetween will be mainly described.

As shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, a camera 120A of this embodiment isprovided with a cartridge chamber 122 having the same construction asdescribed above. A load preventing pin 223 which is urged by a spring223a is provided on the side surface of the cartridge chamber 122 insuch a manner as to be retractably projected in the directionperpendicular to the loading direction of the cartridge at a positionover which the window portion 116a (the window portion 116b in the firstembodiment) of the cartridge is passed when the cartridge is loaded intothe cartridge chamber 122. Therefore, when the slant surface 117a isexposed from the window portion 116a as shown in FIG. 29A, the loadpreventing pin 223 is retracted by action of the slant surface 117a uponinsertion of the cartridge 110 into the cartridge chamber 122, so thatthe film cartridge 110 is allowed to be loaded into the cartridgechamber 122. On the other hand, when the non-slant surface 117b isexposed from the window portion 117b as shown in FIG. 29B, the non-slantsurface 117b abuts against the load preventing pin 223 upon insertion ofthe cartridge 110 into the cartridge chamber 122, so that the cartridge110 is mechanically prevented from being loaded into the cartridgechamber 122.

Therefore, it is impossible to load a used film cartridge 110 indicatedwith "3" by the indicator 112a, and it is possible to load an unusedfilm cartridge 110 indicated with "1" by the indicator 112a and aprematurely-unloaded film cartridge 110 indicated with "2" by theindicator 112a into the cartridge chamber 122. When the loaded cartridge110 is drawn out from the cartridge chamber 122 by a predeterminedamount as shown in FIG. 29B, the load preventing pin 223 is returned toa projection state by the urging force of the spring 223a. Theconstruction of the load detection switch 62 is identical to that asdescribed above, and the description thereof is eliminated.

The spool driving mechanism 100B for the camera of the fourth embodimentwill be described with reference to FIG. 30.

In FIG. 30, a groove 121a is provided over the whole peripheral surfaceof the lower portion of the driving member 121. The groove 121a isengaged with one end 129a of a position detection lever 129 which isrotatably supported by a fixing pin 130, and the other end 129b of theposition detection lever 129 is contacted with an armature of a positiondetection switch 81. When the driving member 121 is engaged with theengaging portion 115 of the spool 112 of the cartridge 110 and isprojected to the upper limit position by the urging force of the spring127A, the switch 81 is switched on. On the other hand, when theengagement between the driving member 121 and the engaging portion 115of the spool 112 is not made due to the angular deviation therebetweenand the driving member 121 is downwardly pushed, the switch 81 isswitched off. That is, the engagement and non-engagement between thedriving member 121 and the engaging portion 115 of the spool 112 can bedetected on the basis of the on/off state of the switch 81.

The rotational position of the driving member 121 is detected by theposition detecting switch comprising the conductive patterns 227a, 227b,227c and 227d formed on the insulating substrate 227B and the slidablebrush 228. One terminal of the slidable brush 228 is slid on theconductive pattern 227d at all times. When the indicator 112a of thecartridge 110 indicates the one of the indexes 114a, 114b and 114c, thatis, "1", "2" and "3", the other terminal of the slidable brush 228 iscontacted with the corresponding one of the conductive patterns 227a to227c. Accordingly, if each of the conductive patterns 227a, 227b and227c is connected to an input port of a control circuit (FIG. 31)described later and the conductive pattern 227d is grounded, therotational position of the driving member 121 is identified by detectingthe contact of the slidable brush 228 with one of the conductivepatterns 227a, 227b and 227c.

FIG. 31 is a block diagram of the control system for the camera 120A. Areference numeral 101 represents a control circuit including a CPU, aROM and a RAM, a reference numeral 81 represents the position detectionswitch, and a reference numeral 65A represents an indication detectionswitch which comprises the conductive patterns 227a and 227d and theslidable brush 228 shown in FIG. 30 and is switched on when theindicator 112a of the cartridge 110 indicates "1" representing an unusedfilm cartridge.

The control procedure of the control circuit 101 of the fourthembodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.32. The same steps as those of FIG. 24 are represented by the same stepnumbers.

In FIG. 32, at a step S101A, it is judged whether the switch 65acomprising the conductive patterns 227a and 227d and the slidable brush228 is in the on-state or in the offstate, that is, the engaging portion115 of the spool 112 of the cartridge 110 which is indicated with "1" bythe indicator 112a thereof is engageable with the driving member 121 ofthe camera. If the switch 65A is judged to be off (the engagement isjudged to be impossible), the program goes to a step S102A. On the otherhand, if the switch 65A is judged to be on (the engagement is judged tobe possible), the program goes to the step S1.

At the step S102A, the reverse rotation of the cartridge driving motor124 (the rotation in the film rewinding direction) is started, and at astep S103A the program awaits its operation until the switch 65A asdescribed above is switched on, that is, until the driving member 121 ofthe camera is driven to such a position that it is engageable with theengaging portion 115 of the spool 112 of the cartridge 110 which isindicated with "1" by the indicator 112a. Thereafter, the reverserotation of the cartridge driving motor 124 is stopped at a step S104A,and the program returns to the step S101A.

On the other hand, if at the step S1 the load detection switch 62 isjudged to be on and subsequently at the step S2 the cartridge-lidopen/close detection 63 is judged to be on, the program goes to a stepS105A to judge on the basis of the on/of signal of the positiondetection switch 81 whether the indicator 112a of the cartridge 110loaded into the cartridge chamber indicates "1" or "2".

Since a used film cartridge which is indicated with "3" by the indicator112a is prevented from being loaded into the cartridge chamber 122 bythe load preventing pin 223, the currently-loaded cartridge 110 is anunused film cartridge which is indicated with "1" by the indicator 112a,or a prematurely-unloaded film cartridge which is indicated with "2" bythe indicator 112a. At the steps S101A to S104A, the position of thedriving member 121 of the camera is adjusted. Therefore, for thecartridge 110 which is indicated with "1" by the indicator 112a,simultaneously with the load of the cartridge 110, the engaging portion115 of the spool 112 is engaged with the driving member 121, and thedriving member 121 is inhibited from being retracted downwardly, so thatthe position detection switch 81 is switched on. On the other hand, forthe cartridge 110 which is indicated with "2" by the indicator 112a, theengaging portion 115 of the spool 112 is not engaged with the drivingmember 121, and the driving member 121 is retracted, so that theposition detection switch 81 is switched off. Therefore, if the positiondetection switch 81 is switched on, the program goes to a process for anunused-film at a step S106A. If the position detection switch 81 isswitched off, the program goes to a process for a prematurely-unloadedfilm at a step S107A.

In the unused film process, after the film feed-out operation, the filmis successively photographed and it is wound around the take-up spool(not shown) every photographic operation. When the photographicoperation of all frames is completed, the film is rewound into thecartridge 110, and the rotational position of the spool 112 iscontrolled by the driving member 121 to indicate "3" by the indicator112a.

In the prematurely-unloaded film process, after the film feed-outoperation, non-photographed (unexposed) frames are detected as the filmis wound around the take-up spool (not shown), and the non-photographedframes are photographed. When the photographic operation for all framesis completed, in the same manner as described above, the film is rewoundinto the cartridge 110, and the rotational position of the spool 112 iscontrolled by the driving member 121 to indicate "3" by the indicator112a.

After the steps S106A and S107A, when it is judged at a step S9 that thecartridge lid open/close detection switch 63 is switched off and thatsubsequently at a step S10 the load detection switch 62 is switched off,the program returns to the step S101A.

According to the above procedure, when the photographic operation forall frames is completed, the film is rewound into the cartridge 110, andthen the spool 112 is rotated so that the indicator 112a indicates "3"representing a used film cartridge. Thereafter, when the cartridge lid131 is opened to unload the cartridge 110 from the cartridge chamber122, the switch 63 is switched off. When the cartridge 110 is completelyunloaded from the cartridge chamber 122, the load detection switch 62 isswitched off, and the process returns to the step S101. However, theloop at the steps S9 and S10 is circulatingly repeated until the loaddetection switch 62 is switched off after the cartridge lid 131 isopened. That is, until the load detection switch 62 is once switched offand then is switched on again, the film initial feed-out operation, thatis, the film feed-out operation is not carried out even if the cartridgelid 131 is closed. The load detection switch 62 is so designed as to beswitched off after the load preventing pin 223 is returned to theprojection position as described above.

Therefore, when the cartridge 110 is partially unloaded from thecartridge chamber 122 to the extent that the load preventing pin 223 isnot returned to the projection position, the cartridge-load detectionswitch 62 is not switched off, and thus the film feed-out operation isnot carried out even when the cartridge 110, which is partially drawnout from the cartridge chamber 122, is completely inserted into thecartridge chamber 122. After the load preventing pin 223 is returned tothe projection position, the load detection switch 62 will be switchedoff. However, in this state, the load of the used film cartridge 110into the cartridge chamber 122 is prevented by the load preventing pin223, so that the film feeding operation of the film in the cartridge 110can not be carried out.

Similarly in the other embodiments as described above, in the camera ofthe fourth embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, the load preventingpin 223A may serve as the detection pin 132, and thus the number ofparts of the camera can be reduced.

In addition, in the construction as shown in FIGS. 33 and 34, like theconstruction as shown in FIGS. 44 and 45, the armature 133 may alsoserves as the spring 223a. Therefore, the number of the parts of thecamera can be further reduced, and the construction can be moresimplified.

Fifth Embodiment

The fifth embodiment according to this invention will be described withreference to FIGS. 35 to 41.

FIGS. 35 to 37 are a perspective view, a plane view and a partiallynotched side view of an embodiment of a film cartridge used in the fifthembodiment. A film cartridge 204 comprises a cylindrical housing 204afor accommodating the film in a light-shielding state, a film outlet204b formed integrally with the housing 204a, a film spool shaft 204c,and a disk plate 204d which is rotatably secured to the spool shaft 204cat the upper end of the housing 204a. The disk plate 204d is formed witha notched portion 217 at the peripheral edge thereof, and the notchedportion 217 constitutes an identifying portion serving as preventingreload of a used film cartridge 204. The notched portion 217 is locatedat an opposite side to the film outlet 204b shown in FIGS. 36 and 37 ina case where the film cartridge 204 is unused. On the other hand, in acase where the film cartridge 204 has been used, the disk plate 204d isrotated so that the notched portion 217 is located at the side of thefilm outlet 204b as indicated by a two-dotted chain line of FIG. 35.

FIG. 38 is a cross-sectional view of the camera into which the cartridge204 as shown in FIGS. 35 to 37 is loaded. In FIG. 38, a referencenumeral 201 represents a camera body, and a film cartridge chamber 202is provided inside the camera body 201. The film cartridge chamber 202is formed of members 203a and 203b so as to accommodate the filmcartridge 204 having the profile as shown in FIG. 35, and has a filmcartridge insertion inlet 202a which is opened in the lower surface ofthe camera body 201. The insertion inlet 202a is opened and closed by acartridge lid 205 which is pivotally mounted on the camera body 201. Afilm feeding gear 206 is rotatably secured on the upper wall of the filmcartridge chamber 202 at the center portion thereof, and the filmfeeding gear 206 is provided with an engaging portion 206a which isengaged with a spool shaft 204c of the film cartridge 204 as shown inFIG. 35.

A reference numeral 207 represents a housing member secured to the outerwall of the member 203b constituting the film cartridge chamber, and thebase portion of an engaging member 208 is pivotally supported through apivot pin 209 inside the housing member 207. The engaging member 208 isswingable in such a direction that it projects into the cartridgechamber 202 and in such a direction that it retracts from the cartridgechamber 202. The swing end portion of the engaging member 208 isdesigned in a hook form as to be bent toward the cartridge chamber 202,and the tip of the hook portion which is projected through a hole 210formed in the cartridge-chamber constituting member 203b is formed withan engaging pawl 208a which is engaged with an identifying portion (asdescribed later) of the film cartridge 204 to prevent the load of thefilm cartridge 204 into the cartridge chamber 202.

A reference numeral 211 represents a plate spring which serves to urgethe engaging member 208 in such a direction that the engaging pawl 208ais projected into the film cartridge chamber 202 (in a counterclockwisedirection in FIG. 38) at all times. One end of the plate spring 211 isfixed inside the housing member 207, and the other end thereof isengaged with a pin 212 which is projected from the engaging member 208at the pivot side. The plate spring 211 also serves as one armature of adetection switch 213 for detecting the presence of the film cartridge204 in the film cartridge chamber 202, and the base portion of the platespring 211 and the base portion of the other armature which is pairedwith the plate spring 211 are superposed over each other through aninsulating spacer 214. The superposed base portions are secured througha vis 215 to a securing portion 207a formed in the housing member 207,and positioned by a positioning pin 216 which is projected from thesecuring portion 207a.

The on/off signal of the detection switch 213 in accordance with thecontact or non-contact between the plate spring 211 and the armature213a is transmitted through a lead line (not shown) connected to thespring plate 211 and the armature 213a to the CPU for controlling thewhole system of the camera.

The operation will be next described.

When a used film cartridge 204 is inserted through the insertion inlet202a into the film cartridge chamber 202, as shown in FIG. 39, theengaging pawl 208a of the engaging member 208 abuts against the endsurface at the insertion side of the film cartridge 204, that is, thedisk plate 204d. Upon further insertion of the film cartridge 204 in theabove state, the engaging member 208 is swung in a direction asindicated by an arrow B against the spring force of the plate spring 211interlockingly with the insertion operation of the film cartridge 204 ina direction as indicated by an arrow A because no engaging memberengageable with the engaging portion 208a is provided to the filmcartridge 204, so that the engaging member 208 is away from theinsertion edge of the film cartridge 204. Thereafter, when the swing tipof the engaging member 208 is in pressed contact with the outer wall ofthe film cartridge 204 as shown in FIG. 40, the swing tip of the platespring 211 is pressed against the armature 213a, and the detectionswitch 213 is switched on. Through this operation, it is detected thatthe film cartridge 204 is inserted into the cartridge chamber 202. Whenthe film cartridge 204 is completely loaded into the film cartridgechamber 202, the cartridge lid 205 can be closed and the camera isallowed to carry out the photographic operation.

When a used film cartridge 204 is loaded through the insertion inlet202a into the film cartridge chamber 202, the notched portion 217 of thedisk plate 204d is located at a position as indicated by a two-dottedchain line of FIG. 35, so that the engaging pawl 208a of the engagingmember 208 is engaged with the notched portion 217 as shown in FIG. 41.Through this engagement, the rotation of the engaging member 208 in theretractive direction is restricted, and the further insertion of thefilm cartridge 204 is prevented. Consequently, the used film cartridge204 is prevented from being erroneously loaded into the cartridgechamber 202. The engaging member 208 keeps the engaging portion 208athereof to be projected into the film cartridge chamber 202, and thusthe detection switch 213 is kept to be off, so that the load of the filmcartridge is not erroneously detected by the camera.

Even when the cartridge lid 205 is closed and the inner condition of thefilm cartridge chamber 202 is not viewed from the outside, the presenceof the film cartridge in the film cartridge chamber 202 can be surelychecked by detecting on the basis of the detection switch 213 whetherthe engaging member 208 is projected into or retracted from the filmcartridge chamber 202.

In the embodiment as described above, the plate spring 211 for urgingthe engaging member 208 in the projecting direction into the filmcartridge chamber 202 is also used as the armature of the detectionswitch 213 for detecting the presence of the film cartridge 202, so thatthe number of parts which constitute the erroneous load preventingmechanism for the film cartridge can be reduced to promote the cost-downand the save of space, and the miniaturization of the camera can beachieved.

What is claimed is:
 1. A camera having a cartridge chamber, which isformed as a hole in a body of the camera, into which a film cartridge isinsertable along its axial direction through an access opening of saidhole, said cartridge having identifying means for indicating at leastthat film in said cartridge has been used, the camera comprising:aprevention member provided in said chamber that engages the identifyingmeans of said cartridge and prevents insertion of said cartridge intosaid chamber when the identifying means indicates that the film has beenused; and detection means for detecting whether said cartridge is loadedinto or unloaded from said cartridge chamber by detecting retraction ofsaid prevention member from said chamber.
 2. A camera as claimed inclaim 1, wherein said detection means outputs a load signal whendetecting that said cartridge is loaded into said cartridge chamber anda non-load signal when detecting that said cartridge is unloaded fromsaid cartridge chamber.
 3. A camera as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidprevention member is urged by an urging force to project radiallyinwardly into said chamber, is retracted against the urging force byinsertion of said cartridge into the chamber, allows cartridge insertionwhen the identifying means does not indicate that film in said cartridgehas been used, and engages the identifying means to prevent cartridgeinsertion when the identifying means indicates that film in saidcartridge has been used; andwherein said detection means comprises apair of contact plates 1) urging said prevention member radially inwardinto said chamber, 2) outputting a load signal when cartridge insertioncauses said pair of contact plates to contact each other, and 3)outputting a non-load signal when said pair of contact plates do notcontact each other.
 4. A camera having a cartridge chamber, which isformed as a hole in a body of the camera, into which a film cartridge isinsertable along its axial direction through an access opening of saidhole, said cartridge having an identifying device that indicates atleast that film in said cartridge has been used, the camera comprising:aprevention member provided in said chamber that engages the identifyingdevice of said cartridge and prevents insertion of said cartridge intosaid chamber when the identifying device indicates that the film hasbeen used; and a detection device that detects whether said cartridge isloaded into or unloaded from said cartridge chamber by detectingretraction of said prevention member from said chamber.
 5. A camera asclaimed in claim 4, wherein said detection device outputs a load signalwhen detecting that said cartridge is loaded into said cartridge chamberand a non-load signal when detecting that said cartridge is beingunloaded from said cartridge chamber.
 6. A camera as claimed in claim 4,wherein said prevention member is urged by an urging force to projectradially inwardly into said chamber, is retracted against the urgingforce by insertion of said cartridge into the chamber, allows cartridgeinsertion when the identifying device does not indicate that film insaid cartridge has been used, and engages the identifying device toprevent cartridge insertion when the indentifying device indicates thatfilm in said cartridge has been used; andwherein said detection devicecomprises a pair of contact plates 1) urging said prevention memberradially inward into said chamber, 2) outputting a load signal whencartridge insertion causes said pair of contact plates to contact eachother, and 3) outputting a non-load signal when said pair of contactplates do not contact each other.